tltorrice

I am planning on fishing Muskegon on Saturday. This will be my last outing of the year. Sunday a get together with some friends. Have fun crossing the bridge.

TT

I put a Depth Raider on my boat about a week before the Stinger Challange. The last two times I used it the temp would go to 91.8. Yesterday I called Kell Labs. They are sending me a new probe. He said I should have it in time to use it on Saturday. I did comment to the guy (can't remember his name now) that their service was very good. I even called them before I purchased and asked him several questions.

I also have been paying attention to the sharpness of my hooks, and they are sharpened regulary. I like to run my drags on the loose side. The dipsy divers just tight enough to not creep out while trolling. The trouble I am having lately is two of my reels are of poor quality, I have to tighten them too much to keep them from creeping out, by the time I get a fish on they are too tight. I will replace those next year.

Got a slow start on Saturday morning due to high wind, waves and rain. Finally got out on Saturday afternoon until 11:00pm. Ended up with 5 fish. Fished 3-4 miles north of the pier away from the crowd. J-plug (superman) was working during bright sunlight. In the evening a J-plug glow with black ladderback has been working very well.

Sunday morning we hit the water around 04:30 in the same area. Had one fish in the boat before light. Same basic program. Also ran some meat rigs with some success. Ended up with 5 fish.

Sunday afternoon back on the water around 04:00pm and fished until 10:00. It was slow for a while then before dark it got fast. We ended up 4 for 10 .

This was due to some equipment malfunctions. I will be addressing that in the coming season. It was fun either way but expensive.

We ended up with 14 for the weekend and there was a mix of all different sizes. 5 fish were the big 4 year olds the other on the smaller size.

I plan on making one more trip for the season. I am going to hit Muskegon next Saturday for the day. After that it will be time to put the boat up and look to the woods.

TT

Frank, thanks for the info on hook removal.

Good luck in Manistee. We only fished on Saturday, Morning and evening until around 11:00 and went 9 for 12 on the day. Ended up with a grand slam. I will be back again on Saturday and Sunday 8/25 & 26.

Tangle Factor

Set lines this morning just before 05:00 in 60 FOW just north of the pier. First fish came on a black back glow in the dark J-Plug. Second fish was on White glow meat rig off the down rigger 40 back & 40 down. Next the same J-plug hit another salmon. It cooled off after it got light out. There seemed to be thousands of boats around us so we headed off to the north away from the crowds. We continued to pick away at them and landed 2 Coho, 1 Steelhead on a meat rig off of the DD, and a few more salmon. Missed 3 fish and had my line break twice and lost two DD due to tangles. Good of fishing went 7 for 10 and some hardware.

TT

Wolfe99

I use both types of boards. I think the more people you talk to the more opinions you will get. I have found the Church Walleye boards to be better for Salmon. I like to be able to put them back on the outside if I need to. They are easier to troll in rough water. Storage is not a problem.

For Walleye I have a hard time telling if I have a fish on with the Church Walleye boards. So I like the big boards for Walleye, then I can tell if I have one hanging on by line drag, or I can set my clips on the light side.

I hope this helps.

Tight Lines. TT

We ended up with 3 fish at the Stinger Challange this one came on the Metallic Green Glow Slasher and Sea Foam Fly on a Dipsy Diver in 115 fow. We had several other hits on this setup. We later realized the fish were hitting the slasher and we probably should have shortened our lead on the fly.

We had a great time, and it was good to meet some of the other people that contribute to this site. I hope this is a yearly event. Thanks to all who organized it.

I am with EdB. I use 50# Ande on flies and 20# on downriggers and other leaders. I run p-line on my divers. I have used flurocarbon in the rivers when fly fishing for steelhead and found it to be soft and breaks a lot. I loose a lot of flies. I have better success when I just run Maxima and go with a lighter line.

GLF I saw your post the other day and thought I did have one of those. I don't know what the size number is but it measures about 4 1/2 inches long. I thought since you were looking for one and you fish Muskegon I shoud try it. Thanks for the tip.

I found the marker that is the big block of concrete. I assume that is what you were talking about. I stayed to the left (south) of it and didn't have any problems. I feel good about doing it in the dark now. Thanks for the map.

TT

Congratulations Ben & Cassie. Nice job Rich. I have a daughter getting married in October. Thanks for the insite.

This was my first trip to Muskegon. Launched around 09:30 and set up in 80 fow a little north of the pier. Had the first fish in the boat within a few minutes it was a Coho off of the port rigger set at 60 on a Carmal Dolphin. Next was a King on a DD set at 140 on a chrome and green meat rig. (Herring strip). Then things got slow so we moved away from the pack of boats and put out the lead core with a monkey puke j-plug took a small king on that. The last fish of the day was another king on the carmal dolphin.

Manistee Sunday set lines in 80 fow just north of the pier at 05:00 and caught a small king (2 year old) at 05:30 on a green glow meat rig on the down rigger set at 50'. Then there was a long dry spell in that area. We pulled all of the lines around 8:30 and ran south to the third set of trap nets on the deep side and trolled north. We were away from the crowd. (i like that) At 10:30 we had a hit on the same green glow meat rig but it came off. At 10:45 we landed a 9lb king on a black ladderback spoon on full core. Once we got back by the pier we were pulling lines and caught a nice steelhead, I don't remember what he hit.

So for the weekend we landed 7 and lost 2. Sunday was a little bumpy.

Most of the salmon I have caught this year seem to be on the small side. Like they are 2 & 3 year old fish.

Tight Lines

Thanks Mike. This is exactly why I didn't want to do this for the first time at 04:30 in the morning.

TT

I will be fishing Muskegon on Saturday. Should launch around 9:00am from Fishermans Landing. I wanted to do it one time in the day light before next Saturday in the dark. Sunday morning early I will be going out of Manistee. Tight lines to all. It should be a great weekend to be on the water.

Good. Thanks I was wondering the same question. I am looking forward to meeting eveyone. It should be a good time.

TT

Done.

TT

Nice report Redeye. With all of these good reports coming from Muskegon I am excited about fishing there this Saturday. This will be my first time out of this port.

Nice job with breaking 100 salmon, that is a lot of fish.

The eye of a fish.

Count me in on the pig roast. There will be 4 of us.

Thanks

I also have two Big Jon electrics. That hole is supposed to be sealed and the literature states do not lubricate. I have not left mine out in the weather. I always power them down. They seem to go down quick enough.

Fished Manistee again this morning July 22. Set lines at 5:00 just north of the harbor in around 100 fow. First bite came after light on a fishcatcher fly on a dipsy. This fish came off. We moved south and stayed west of the nets and started picking away. 3 salmon on full core with a chrome and blue j plug. One on a meat rig on a dipsy, another on a down rigger at 70 and 40 back, that was a green ladder back j plug. Also caught one lake trout. Pulled lines at 2:30pm, long day but a lot of fun.

Tom

Fished Manistee this morning. Didn’t get out as early as I had hoped, set lines around 6:30 in the 16s & 17s. Lots of boats. Didn’t get any hits so decided to go out and play in the nets. Had 3 hits. One on a dipsy with a yellow spindoctor fly compo, Another on Blue spin doctor and a silver fly. Lost both of those. Landed a small king off of full core with a black and silver thunderstick.

Back out in the morning.

Rich, a couple of us from the Tangle Factor are interested in learning how to tie trolling flies. Are you still planning on this?

Thanks

Tom Torrice

I fished before light 04:00am last August in Manistee. The main reason was to beat the crowds at the launch. I used anything that would glow and had a number of fish in the boat before getting all of the lines set. I installed flood lights on the boat to light up the deck. I also use a light that clips on the brim of my hat for closeup detail work. I also used a camara flash to charge up the lures and flashers. I will do it again this year.

I don't have one of those!